Dallas Mavericks Blog

Mavericks aren’t strutting just yet

The Mavericks have every reason to be confident heading into the second trimester of the season. But do they have the swagger that really great teams always seem to carry themselves with?

Not yet, is the consensus from the players. But they emphasize that you don’t necessarily have to have it in December or January.

“I think we have confidence,” Jason Kidd said. “I don’t know if it’s swagger. I just think we know when we take the floor if we execute the game plan we got a chance to win, home or road.”

Part of the reason they swell with a strong sense of being able to beat anybody, anywhere is because they have shown they can win in multiple styles. They can win with Dirk Nowitzki scoring 40 or 14. They can win with a couple of heavy hitters going off for big nights or with six players scoring between 10 and 20 points.

“There’s a big advantage to both,” Kidd said. “When people are scoring like that, it’s hard to guard because you can’t focus on one guy. It’s a difficult situation for your opponent.”

Coach Rick Carlisle has stressed depth and versatility so far and it’s been a clear asset. But like everybody else, he knows that it’s a powerful weapon to know that there will be times when Nowitzki can carry the night.